


Critical mass

by 4thofFive



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-12
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-05-01 07:30:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5197496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4thofFive/pseuds/4thofFive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny needs a major operation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Critical mass

**Author's Note:**

> Another old one. Boy did it need re-writing! I wrote it around early season 2 I think.

Danny felt his knees turn to jelly as he walked out of the building housing his doctor’s office and into the bright Hawaiian sunshine. He walked unsteadily over to the brick retaining wall surrounding the building’s lush flower beds and sat down heavily. He began taking slow, deep breaths, willing his hands to stop shaking.

He told himself not to panic, not to jump to conclusions. They didn’t know anything for sure yet except that he had to have surgery; brain surgery. Those two words were enough to hitch his breath again and he closed his eyes and concentrated on slowing his heart rate.

**********

Danny returned to the office mid-morning to find Chin and Kono hovering around the computer table sorting through documents from their latest case. Danny raised his hand distractedly as the cousins called out a greeting. He walked into his own office and dropped into his desk chair putting his elbows on the desk and dropping his head into his shaking hands. He knew he needed to calm down a bit before telling the team and…god, Gracie. What the hell was he going to do about telling Grace? She and her mother were in England visiting Rachel’s parents. Should he phone and tell her about the surgery or wait until it was over in case he panicked her for nothing? 

Danny turned his chair around and looked across the bullpen to his partner’s office. Steve was just hanging up his phone and turning his attention to his computer. He knew Steve would be upset at Danny’s announcement, but he also knew his partner was a rock in a crisis and for Danny, this was a crisis. Taking a deep breath, Danny stood and walked out of his office, across the bull pen and opened Steve’s door.

“Got a minute?”

Steve looked up and smiled. 

“Hey Danno, didn’t see you come in. Of course I have a minute. Grab a seat.”

A weak smile flashed briefly across Danny’s face as he sat down and faced Steve nervously.

“I umm, I need to talk to you about something.” Danny paused for a moment and Steve was immediately on high alert at his partner’s obvious nerves.

“Is everything ok?” Steve stood up and came around the desk to perch on the edge of it directly in front of his partner, arms crossed on his chest.

“Well…I’m not sure. “ Danny glanced up into Steve’s sympathetic eyes then away again. “I need to ask for some leave – maybe a few weeks.”

“Personal leave? Is something going on with Gracie?”

Danny shook his head. 

“No, Grace is fine. It’s umm, medical leave. I have to have surgery on Monday.”

Steve’s face twisted in sympathy. 

“Is it the knee again?”

Lifting his eyes to meet his partner’s, Danny shook his head. 

“No, no it’s not the knee. Do you remember I’ve been complaining about headaches recently?”

Steve tensed slightly and gave an abrupt nod.

Danny took a deep breath. 

“I went to the doctor and he sent me for a CAT scan and…apparently I have a mass on my brain and they need to remove it surgically.”

Danny watched as the colour drained from Steve’s face and his hands dropped heavily to his sides.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean the worst,” Danny’s words came out in a rush, his heart racing at the sight of his best friend’s now pale face. “It could be a benign growth.”

“Oh my God,” whispered Steve before he could bite back the words.

Danny stood up and stepped closer to his friend, grasping his partner’s upper arm gently. 

“It may be nothing,” he repeated.

As if snapped back to reality by Danny’s touch, Steve stood up straight and hardened his expression. He nodded. 

“Ok, that’s fine Danny. Why don’t you fill out the paperwork and I’ll sign it.” Turning quickly from his partner, Steve resumed his seat in front of his computer and began typing, his hands shaking slightly.

Danny hovered for a moment confused by Steve’s suddenly cold behaviour.

“Yeah…OK I’ll do that. I’ll bring you the paperwork in a while.”

Steve glanced at him and nodded curtly then turned back to the screen effectively quenching any more conversation. Danny left the office feeling a bit dazed. He didn’t exactly expect the SEAL to gather him in his arms and cry, but a few words of comfort might have been nice.

**********

Kono and Chin’s hugs and reassuring words were exactly what Danny needed, and Kono’s wet eyes reminded him of the love the team shared for each other.

“How did Steve take it?” asked Chin as he and Kono sat in the two desk chairs in Danny’s office.

Danny shrugged and dropped his eyes to his desk. 

“Pretty well, I guess. At first he looked shocked but then he just got sort of business-like. Told me to fill out the leave forms and he would sign them. That was it.”

The two cousins glanced at each other then back at Danny.

“You know how he gets when things get emotional, Danny,” said Kono gently. “He puts up his walls so he can pretend nothing hurts him.”

Danny looked up and gave her a small, sad smile. 

“I guess. Or maybe he’s just pissed that he’s going to be down one team member for a while.”

Chin shook his head firmly. 

“That’s not true. You know he cares about you, Danny. I think Kono’s right. I think he’s scared and decided to shut down before he had to admit it.”

Danny shrugged and picked up a pen winding it back and forth through his fingers. 

“Doesn’t matter anyway. I’ll be off and he won’t have to worry about it.”

Danny blew out a breath and sat up straight. 

“So, what do we have on the McKinnon killing?”

**********

Danny picked half-heartedly at his frozen dinner and stared sightlessly at the muted television. Kono and Chin had invited him out to dinner but he’d begged off. As much as he loved them and their company, Danny needed some privacy to deal with his diagnoses and figure out what to do next. He shook his head slowly. When he was told about the surgery this morning, he was fully prepared to never be left alone until it was over. He’d expected to have his home invaded by his Navy SEAL best friend and to be hovered over, bullied and cajoled until the surgery was complete and he’d recovered to Steve’s satisfaction. The fact that he was sitting here in his rundown apartment with a tray of food that tasted like Styrofoam in front of him was an outcome he could never have imagined.

A knock at the door roused Danny from his reverie. He sighed in annoyance as he dropped the TV dinner onto the coffee table and climbed to his feet to open the door. He let out a small gasp of surprise to find Steve standing in front of him holding beer in one hand and a paper bag that smelled like Chinese food in the other.

“Hi,” Steve smiled nervously.

“Hi. What are you doing here?”

“I thought you might like some take out and…well I was hoping we could talk.”

Danny sighed. His first instinct was to tell his partner to get lost, but something in Steve’s hazel eyes made him relent. He opened the door and let Steve enter.

After digging out plates and dishing up the food, the two men sat quietly on the couch, both nervous at the unusual silence between them. Finally Steve sighed and put his plate of half-eaten food onto the coffee table and turned to look at Danny.

‘I’m sorry about how I acted today, Danny. I was freaked out by your announcement and I just couldn’t…” Steve shook his head sadly and dropped his eyes to the floor. “I couldn’t face it. I couldn’t face you. I let you down,” the last words were whispered with a voice torn with regret.

Danny, feeling all of his righteous anger and disappointment fade away at the sight of his remorseful best friend, also put his plate down and reached out to squeeze Steve’s upper arm. 

“Hey, you didn’t let me down. I admit I was a hurt at your reaction, but I understand. You’ve lost so many people I guess it’s not surprising you’d want to put up some walls to protect yourself.”

Steve looked up and met Danny’s eyes unwaveringly. 

“Well, no more. I’m here now and I’ll be here every step of the way. You’re not alone Danny, and you don’t have to go through this alone, ok?”

Danny gave him a grateful smile. 

“You don’t know how much it means to me to hear you say that. I gotta admit I’m scared as hell.”

Steve slid closer to Danny and wrapped his arms around his partner pulling him into a firm hug. Danny stiffened at first, not used to such displays of affection from the usually reserved man. But after a few seconds he sank into the hug and buried his face in Steve’s shoulder.

**********

Steve drove Danny to the hospital to check in on Sunday night. The four Five-0 team members had had a loud, hilarious lunch that afternoon on Steve’s lanai, and Danny had found himself relaxed and laughing. But now as they drew closer to the hospital he felt cold and his stomach was in knots.

“I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since the day Grace was born,” he joked weakly, his voice sounding strained even to his own ears.

“I haven’t been so nervous since I walked through the gates of Annapolis,” replied Steve giving his partner a quick, unsteady smile.

Steve steered the truck into the first available parking space and climbed out grabbing Danny’s bag from the back. The two men began walking towards the sliding glass doors of the admitting department when Danny stopped suddenly. Steve turned back to look at his friend’s pale face and frightened eyes.

“I don’t want to die, Steve,” Danny whispered as he swallowed convulsively. It was the first time in three days that he’d shown any fear and it chilled Steve to the bone.

Dropping the bag on the ground, Steve stood in front of Danny, his face inches from his partner’s. Steve grabbed Danny’s shoulders he stared at the smaller man intently until Danny raised his wide, frightened eyes to look at him.

“You are not going to die, Danny Williams. Not for a long, long time. Not until you’re a crotchety great-grandfather pinching nurses asses in the old folks’ home.”

Danny smiled weakly.

“Yeah?”

Steve nodded once as if everything had been decided.

“Yeah.” 

Steve picked up Danny’s bag then draped an arm around his friend’s shoulders and walked with him through the doors of the hospital.

**********

Steve paced nervously in the waiting room. It had been two hours since Danny had been wheeled off for his surgery. Waiting had never been Steve’s strong suit, but the combination of waiting and worrying was making him feel like a caged animal. Kono and Chin were at work running the store but had promised to come by around 11:30 a.m. to bring him some lunch. That was hours away, however, and Steve keenly felt the lack of someone to share his nervousness with.

Steve thought about last night and how brave Danny had been. After that moment of fear outside the hospital, Danny’s strong will had returned, and it was obvious he was trying to keep Steve’s spirits up as well as his own. The SEAL had even had to smother a laugh at the look on Danny’s face when an orderly came into his partner’s room to shave his head. They only needed to shave one side of it but Danny hated the idea of looking like a weirdo so he told the man to shave it all. Steve couldn’t help but grin at the look of desolation on his partner’s face. Danny was vain about his hair.

“Oh yuck it up, Super SEAL,” snapped Danny, seeing Steve’s attempts to keep a straight face. “I know you’re enjoying this. You’ve always been jealous of my beautiful hair.”

Steve smirked and rolled his eyes. 

“That’s right Danny. Your beautiful hair and your long, long legs...oh wait!”

Danny growled. 

“Bastard! Here I am suffering with quiet dignity and all you can do is laugh. You’re a cruel, cruel man McGarrett.”

Steve barked out a laugh. 

“You’ve never done anything quietly in your life, Danno.”

**********

Later in the evening Kono and Chin stopped by briefly. Chin brought a colourful bandana festooned with pineapples for Danny to wear if his scalp got cold. His gift was accepted with a brief rant and a few insults, but then Kono helped Danny tie it on his head then stood back to admire her work.

“Hmmm nice,” she whispered huskily. “My first boyfriend used to wear a bandana. It was very sexy.”

Danny looked up at her with bright eyes. 

“Oh yeah? You have a thing for guys with bandanas?”

The young woman winked and licked her top lip.

“Definitely. Makes you a real bad boy. I’ve always had a weakness for bad boys.”

Danny swallowed thickly.

**********

Steve spent the night at his partner’s bedside even though Danny had been lightly sedated and was unlikely to wake before morning. Having spent more than his fair share of time in dark hospital rooms, Steve knew how lonely they could be and he wanted to be nearby just in case.

Just before 6 a.m., Danny was awake and an IV had been started for the pre-operative sedation. The gurney taking him to surgery was on its way.

“Steve remember to call Rachel as soon as you know anything, ok? She’ll be waiting.”

“I will Danny. First thing.”

Oh, and remind Kono she’s got to go to court on the Harada case on Wednesday. Chin should help her prepare.”

“I’ll remind her.”

“And I got the paperwork started on the dope ring from last week. Tell Chin it’s on my G drive, ok? I left him the password.”

“I’ll tell him.”

The two men grew silent and Steve could hear Danny breathing nervously, his hands plucking distractedly at the light blanket covering him.

“Steve?”

“Yeah, Danny?”

“Be careful when you go out on cases, ok? Don’t do anything crazy and remember to wait for back up. Take Kono or Chin with you every time you go out. I don’t want to be worried about you.”

Steve blinked back tears but forced himself to give his partner a small smile.

“I will, Danny. I’ll be careful.”

The door opened behind Steve and he stepped aside to let the orderlies load Danny on the gurney then cover him with a sheet. Steve walked beside his partner as they took the elevator up to the surgical floor and down the hall to the entrance of the operating theatre. Neither man said anything when Danny reached out from under the sheet and grasped Steve’s hand for the duration of the journey. Steve held on to him tightly.

Just before Steve turned to say goodbye, Danny looked up at him again, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Steve?”

“Yes buddy?”

“Tell Gracie Danno loves her ok?”

Steve nodded and squeezed Danny's hand as well.

“I will. See you in a few hours.”

**********

Now it was all about waiting: waiting to hear if his partner survived the surgery; waiting to hear if the mass in his brain was cancer; waiting to see if the surgery had caused any brain damage.

As Steve sat, or paced, in the dun-coloured waiting room, the horrible what-if’s raced through his mind unbidden. What if his partner died? Despite Steve’s attempt to keep up his emotional shield, Danny had worked his way into Steve’s life and heart. He’d never had a friend like the loud, ranting New Jersey native before. Danny wouldn’t be ignored, wouldn’t be shoved aside and refused to be intimidated by the tough Navy SEAL. Somewhere along the line Danny had decided that he and Steve would be friends, whether Steve seemed to want that or not.

Steve walked over to the window and stared out at the busy streets in front of the hospital. He smiled to himself. It was more likely that the short detective could see that underneath Steve’s tough military exterior he was a lonely man desperate for a home and a family – even a strange family made up of two Hawaiian cousins, a bright and happy nine-year-old, and a sweet, smart-mouthed and fiercely loyal haole.

Steve felt his eyes fill with tears and he rubbed them away harshly. He had to remain strong. He had to believe Danny would be alright. Nothing else was acceptable.

Someone cleared their throat from across the room and Steve spun around to see Danny’s neurosurgeon, Dr. Hong, standing in the doorway of the waiting room. It was all Steve could do not to grab the doctor and shake the information about Danny from him.

“Doc? How is he?”

Gesturing to the chairs, the doctor took Steve lightly by the upper arm and steered him to sit down. The doctor looked pale and tired after hours of delicate surgery.

“He came through the operation very well, Commander. He’s in the recovery room now.”

Steve all but collapsed back in the chair as the hours of worry and fear drained away. He rubbed his hands over his face almost afraid to ask the next question.

“Did you get the test results?”

The doctor nodded then smiled. 

“The tumour was benign, and it’s the type that is unlikely to grow back, so he shouldn’t require any radiation therapy.”

Steve grinned in relief. 

“Oh, thank God.”

“I’m very pleased with the results so far. Of course, as I explained to Detective Williams yesterday, there’s always a chance of some side effects of brain surgery. I spoke to him briefly in recovery but he was still very groggy. We’ll need to test him when the anesthetic wears off a bit more to see if he’s suffered any ill effects of the surgery. In any case, we’ll need to keep him here under observation for a few days at least.”

Steve nodded and swallowed, aware that they weren’t completely out of the woods just yet.

“When can I see him?”

The doctor stood up and arched his back slightly to stretch it out.

“He’ll be in recovery for another hour and then we’ll move him into the ICU. They’ll be able to more closely monitor him in there.”

Steve looked up at the surgeon warily. 

“ICU is usually only for family. Does that mean I can’t see him until he gets out?”

The surgeon smiled and placed a warm hand on Steve’s shoulder. 

“I doubt I could keep you out of there, rules or no rules, Commander. Besides, he has given you his medical power of attorney so that will ensure you have access.”

Steve sat stunned for a moment. Danny had never mentioned having such a document drawn up. Knowing his partner trusted him in that way made a lump form in Steve’s throat and he had to look away from the doctor for a moment.

“I’ll have the nurse come and get you when Danny is settled in ICU,” said the doctor turning away from Steve to return to his patient.

“Hey, Doc?”

The surgeon turned back to look at Steve questioningly.

“Thank you.”

**********

“Detective Williams open your eyes…I need you to wake up and talk to me…Danny?”

Dr. Hong stood up straight and glanced over at Steve on the other side of his patient’s bed.

“Commander, why don’t you try? Maybe he’ll respond to you.”

Steve leaned over the bed and took one of Danny’s limp, warm hands in his.

“Danny? Danny, its Steve. Wake up. Open your eyes, partner.”

Danny’s eyelids twitched then slowly opened. 

“Seeve?”

Steve smiled with relief.

“Yes, it’s me buddy. You’re ok. Everything went really well, but you need to wake up a bit and talk to the doctor, ok?”

Dr. Hong leaned over his patient again and took out a penlight to check Danny’s pupils. 

“Detective can you tell me where you are?”

Danny sighed and blinked. “Hosple.” 

Steve frowned at the slurred words.

“That’s correct,” continued the doctor now checking the bandages around Danny’s head.

“Who is the President of the United States, Detective?”

“Barahomama”

“Very good. Now I want you to squeeze my fingers with your left hand,” the doctor continued.

Steve noticed a flicker of concern cross the doctor’s face when Danny complied. The doctor moved his fingers over to Danny’s right hand.

“OK, now squeeze my fingers with your right hand.” 

Danny did as he was told and the doctor nodded in satisfaction.

The doctor moved to the end of the bed and pulled the blanket off Danny’s feet leaving them exposed. 

“Now wiggle your toes, detective.”

There was no reaction at first and Steve felt a stab of panic until he realized Danny had drifted off to sleep again. Giving his partner’s shoulder a gentle shake, Steve raised his voice a little.

“Danny, wiggle your toes!’ he commanded.

Danny complied, but the toes of his right foot moved more obviously than those of his left.

The doctor looked up at Steve and inclined his head toward the door before covering up Danny’s feet and leaning over his patient again. 

“You’re doing very well, Danny. Go back to sleep now. Your partner and I will be just outside for a moment.”

The two men left the ICU and took a few steps down the hall coming to a stop near the stairwell door.

“Well, it’s obvious your partner has some speech issues,” began the doctor, rubbing his neck tiredly. “He also has some pronounced left side weakness. Neither of these things is uncommon after brain surgery.”

“Will they go away?” Steve questioned nervously.

“They may improve on their own as he heals and the sedation wears off. In any case he’s probably going to need some speech and physical therapy to help him get back his strength and range of movement. He’ll need to stay in the hospital a bit longer than expected because of it.”

Steve licked his lips nervously.

“Is there any chance that this could be permanent?”

The doctor looked up into the SEAL’s eyes. 

“It’s possible, but I need to remind you that Detective Williams is doing very well, all things considered. The effects of the surgery and the growth could have been far more severe.”

“I know that, Doc,” replied Steve as he leaned back against the wall behind him. “I’m grateful, and I know Danny is as well. It’s just that something like this could end his career as a police officer, and that would devastate him.”

The doctor nodded.

“I understand, Commander. We’ll do our best to help him.”

**********

When Danny woke again it was early evening and Steve was dozing in the uncomfortable chair next to his partner’s bed. The smaller man looked around the room and at all the equipment hooked up to him before noticing his best friend napping nearby.

“Seeve?” Danny wrinkled his brows as he realized his mouth wasn’t working properly. “Seeve?” He tried again with no better luck.

The word at least had the effect of rousing his partner from his nap. Steve stood up quickly and leaned over Danny, a smile on his face.

“Hey buddy, welcome back. How are you feeling?”

“Mkay.” Danny licked his lips as if a dry mouth was the reason he was having trouble talking. “Seeve? Why cand I…?

Steve took Danny’s right hand in his and gave his friend a reassuring smile. 

“You’re having a bit of trouble speaking after the surgery partner. You’re also having some left side weakness. The doctor said it’s not unusual and things will get better with some physical therapy.”

“Sroke?” asked Danny, his eyes flashing in fear.

“No, no you didn’t have a stroke. It’s just a result of the brain surgery. I know it’s scary, but it’ll get better, ok?”

Danny nodded and closed his eyes then opened them again quickly. 

“You lk dyrd”

“I’m ok, buddy. I caught a few winks in the chair.”

“Go hm seeve,” Danny said giving is partner’s hand a small tug.

Steve shook his head. 

“Nah, I’ll stay her for a while just in case you…”

“Go hm!” Danny said with more force. “Mm ok. See you in mrnng.”

Steve gave his friend a small smile coupled with a worried look. 

“Are you sure? I hate to leave you alone here.”

Danny closed his eyes. 

“I sleep. Go.”

Giving Danny’s hand a final squeeze, Steve tucked it under the covers and pulled the blanket farther up his partner’s chest.

“OK, buddy, I’ll go home. The nurses have my number if you need anything. I’ll see you in the morning, ok?”

Danny nodded weakly without opening his eyes. 

“See you in mrng.”

**********

Steve woke feeling more refreshed than he would have thought possible. The last four days of worry had kept him from getting much rest but now, knowing his partner had survived the surgery and didn’t have cancer, he was able to sleep soundly. He was concerned about the speech problems and left-side weakness that Danny was experiencing, but had to believe that speech and physical therapy would help.

After calling the hospital for an update on Danny’s condition, and being told he slept comfortably through the night, Steve decided he would be best able to face the day if he followed his regular workout routine.

Later, freshly showered and digesting a healthy breakfast, Steve walked cheerfully into the ICU ready to spend the day with his sick friend.

Steve stopped short and felt his stomach lurch in horror as he saw Danny’s doctor and two nurses working feverishly over his partner while Danny’s body twisted and jerked as he suffered through the throes of a seizure.

“What the hell?” gasped Steve, running to his partner’s side.

“Commander McGarrett wait outside for me please,” barked Dr. Hong without taking his eyes from his patient.

“But what’s happening?” demanded Steve, panic rising in his chest.

“Commander! Wait outside and I will be right out. I need to focus on my patient!”

Swallowing convulsively, Steve took several steps backward then spun on his heel and walked quickly from the room. He jogged down the hall to the bathroom and stood for several minutes over a sink fighting down the urge to vomit up his breakfast. When he had his stomach under control he splashed some water on his face then returned to hover outside of the doors of the ICU.

Ten minutes later Dr. Hong emerged from the unit.

“Your partner is fine. He had a seizure, but that is not uncommon after brain surgery. It’s one of the reasons we kept him in ICU. We’re giving him anti-seizure medication and it shouldn’t happen again.”

Steve released a shaky breath. 

“Is he in any pain?”

“No, he isn’t in pain, but a tonic-clonic seizure of this type can be very exhausting. He’ll sleep for several hours.”

“I should get in there,” said Steve, moving to step around the doctor who stopped him by gripping his arm lightly.

“Commander, why don’t you go to work for a while or go home and rest a bit more? Your friend is fine and he really will sleep for several hours. He’s going to need your help quite a bit over the next days and weeks. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to have a little break?”

Steve chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully ready to argue with the Doctor. He hated leaving Danny alone, but he also knew the doctor was right. He nodded reluctantly.

“I’ll go to work for a few hours. If Danny wakes up will you ask the nurses to tell him I’ll be back soon?”

The doctor nodded and smiled gently. 

“I will, Commander. Don’t worry about anything. The nurses have your number if your partner should need you.”

**********

Steve and Kono walked into the ICU later that afternoon and came to a stop a few feet from Danny’s bed when they saw a young and very pretty brunette in a lab coat standing next to their friend holding his chin in one hand. Danny was smiling happily at the touch.

“Ball,” she said, exaggerating the word slightly. “Remember to put your tongue at the top of your mouth when you make the L sound.”

“Ba,” Danny spoke then huffed in frustration and tried again. “Buh-aaalll.”

The young woman smiled and nodded. 

“Very good, Danny! Now try this one: stair.”

Danny glanced over and saw his two teammates. 

“S-steeve,” he smiled proudly.

“No Danny, I said stair.”

Danny pointed out his two teammates behind her and she turned and smiled at them. Steve came towards her with his hand outstretched ready to introduce himself, but she lifted her hand to silence him.

“No, no. Let’s let Danny make the introductions, shall we?”

Steve nodded and looked over at his partner expectantly.

Danny sighed and blew out his cheeks. He began speaking with great concentration. 

“Heaver…no…Hea-ther…meed S-steve and Kono,” he grinned proudly and Kono came around the bed and gave him a congratulatory kiss on the forehead.

Steve stepped closer to the bed and patted Danny on the leg.

“That’s great man, good work!”

“He’s doing very well,” Heather smiled proudly at her patient. “He’s having some trouble pronouncing his T’s especially, but we’ll fix that up.”

Steve shook his head sadly.

“Well he is from New Jersey so he’s always had trouble speaking properly. I don’t know how much you’ll be able to help.”

“Hey!” Danny snapped taking a swipe at the hand that was still resting on his leg.

“That’s ok, Danny,” piped up Kono cheerfully, “We’ve always been able to understand you, despite your weird accent.”

Danny huffed in feigned annoyance. 

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning, Danny, and we’ll take up where we left off, ok?” said Heather smiling indulgently at the three friends.

“K, bye Hea-ther,” Danny replied slowly.

Steve watched the pretty woman walk away with an appreciative eye. 

“I imagine she makes the work much more enjoyable, huh Danny?”

Danny laughed and nodded.

Steve and Kono pulled up chairs to sit on either side of Danny’s bed. He smiled at them both and they smiled back until all three felt a little foolish and laughed out loud.

“So, when do you start physical therapy,” asked Kono excitedly.

“morrow.”

“Better try that one again, partner,” suggested Steve gently.

Danny closed his eyes briefly as if summoning up the word.

“T-too-morrow.”

Kono patted Danny on his arm and smiled.

“We’ll get rid of the Jersey accent yet,” she teased earning a growl from Danny.

**********

Despite Danny’s halting reassurances that he was alright, Steve decided to spend one more night watching over his partner. The truth was the seizure had scared the hell out of Steve and he felt guilty for not being there when Danny needed him. He and Kono ducked out for supper when Chin came by to visit and continue a game of chess he and Danny had started the week before.

When Steve returned, Danny was asleep. Sometime during the evening a thoughtful staff member had swapped out the uncomfortable chair that used to be next to Danny’s bed with a version that reclined slightly. It was a bit too small for Steve’s long frame, but he was grateful for the chance to stretch out a bit.

In the middle of the night Steve was awakened by a small moan coming from the bed. All but shooting out of his chair, Steve rushed over to his partner’s side and leaned down to find Danny’s face twisted in pain, one tear rolling slowly from his eyes down the side of his face and onto the pillow.

“Danny?” Steve whispered softly. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Hed…headaish.”

“Headache?” Steve repeated.

Danny nodded and lifted his right arm to cover his eyes.

Steve reached over and pushed the call button for the nurse.

“Why didn’t you call for help?” Steve whispered again.

“…not bovver.”

Steve slid a hand under Danny’s neck massaging it gently. 

“You’re not bothering anyone. You’re recovering from surgery and you need to let them look after you, ok?”

Danny snorted and lifted his arm briefly away from his wet eyes. 

“P-od, keddle…”

“Yes, yes I know. I’m the pot calling the kettle black. You know I’m better at giving advice than taking it.”

After conferring with Danny’s doctor, the nurse was able to give her patient a Tylenol 3 and the detective was soon asleep again. Unfortunately, that was it for Steve and sleep. The SEAL spent the rest of the night holding Danny’s hand and checking his breathing and heart rate nervously.

**********

Two days later Danny was moved out of the ICU and into a private room – courtesy of the Governor. With more privacy and space available, Danny and the therapists were able to put increased effort into his therapy. The speech therapy was coming along well, but the PT was slow and frustrating. Danny was normally an active man boiling over with energy. He found it upsetting to only be able to walk with assistance, his left leg dragging slightly and his left arm weakened. But while Steve, Kono and Chin could see improvements in their friend’s condition over the passing days, Danny was anxious to improve faster and go home. The slow pace of his recovery was beginning to cause him to become frustrated and display flashes of moodiness and anger.

The blow up with Steve came the weekend after his surgery when his partner kept encouraging him to get out of bed and take a few steps and, even more frustrating, kept correcting his pronunciation of words.

“F-fuck off! How did th-thad sound?” Danny snapped after Steve had corrected his phrasing one too many times.

“Danny, don’t be such a jerk, I’m just trying to help you.”

“I don need your goddam hlp ok? I have th-thurupuss to help me. I don need you. Why don you ged lossed!”

“Danny, for christssakes…”

“Ged lossed!” Danny yelled taking a swing at Steve who was standing too far away to be hit.

Steve knew he should stay calm but more than 10 days of emotional turmoil had frayed his nerves. The SEAL strode up to Danny’s bed and put his face a couple of inches from his partner’s, his eyes narrow with rage. 

“You don’t want me around here, that’s fine. I’ll get the hell out and you can do this all on your own!” 

Steve spun on his heel and stormed out of the room, out of the hospital, and into the parking lot where he spent some satisfying time slamming his fists on the hood of his truck and scaring the crap out of passers-by.

When Kono stopped by in the early evening she found Danny curled up in a miserable ball. Steve had called her and told her what had happened and she spent the first few minutes of her visit sitting on the edge of Danny’s bed rubbing his back gently.

“M’such a jrk,” Danny sighed finally.

“It’s ok, Danny. Steve knows you were just upset and frustrated. Everything will be fine.”

Danny rolled over onto his back and looked into Kono’s warm brown eyes.

“Gez on my nerves some dimes.”

Kono smiled, showing Danny the dimples that had always made him feel a bit of a flutter in his stomach.

“I understand, but you know how Steve is, when he commits to a project he gives it his laser focus. Right now you’re his project. Maybe he overdoes it a bit, but he cares about you and he wants you back at work and back into your life.”

“I know,” Danny lay quietly for a moment then looked up at his friend. “Kono, ca I burrow yur phone?”

Kono smiled and pulled her phone out of her pocket to place it in Danny’s right hand.

“You bet. And by the way, you said those words beautifully.”

Kono stood up and smiled down at her friend.

“I’m going to get some coffee. I’ll be right back.” As she walked to the door she paused and turned back to look at him. “Steve is number 2 on speed dial.”

**********

The minute Steve got home he stripped off his clothes and pulled on his swimming trunks then dove gratefully into the cool water of the ocean in front of his house.

He swam powerfully for 30 minutes determined to work off his residual anger. All he wanted to do was help Danny and that help was thrown back in his face! He would never have treated Danny like that! Ungrateful jerk!

Steve turned over and floated on his back to gaze up at the sky as he felt himself calm down. His partner was going through a difficult situation. He was probably frustrated and a bit scared. While Steve saw that his friend was making progress, it wasn’t happening fast enough for Danny who wanted to get out of the hospital and back to work.

Steve began to swim slowly back to the beach.

Danny had mentioned to him that Grace was due back from England next week and he wanted to be in better shape when she arrived so that she wouldn’t be too frightened at the change in him.

As Steve climbed out of the water and began toweling himself off. He wished he’d stayed calm and handled things better. Steve, more than anyone, knew what it was like to spend long days stuck in a hospital undergoing sometimes frustrating physical therapy. He should have spoken calmly to Danny. He should have left the room for a few minutes to get his temper under control. He shouldn’t have shouted at a man who only recently was terrified he was going to die.

As he entered the house, Steve considered getting dressed and heading back to the hospital when his phone rang.

“S-steve?”

The SEAL couldn’t help the relieved grin that spread across his face. “Hi, Danny.”

“Mm sorry.”

“It’s ok, man, don’t be sorry. I know you’re frustrated and I’ve been pushing you too hard.”

“I shouldnd- shouldn’t have yelled a you like th-that.”

“Me either, partner. I lost my temper. Let’s forget about it, ok?”

“Sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Everything’s ok, Danny.”

Steve heard a relived sigh on the other end of the phone. 

“Steve, guess wha?”

“What?”

“Doc says I shud get ou-out of here in a couple of days.”

“Really man? That’s fantastic!”

“Can hardly wai-t.”

“Me too. Let’s have a celebration dinner at my house when Gracie gets back, ok? You, me, Kono, Chin…everyone.”

Steve could hear his partner chuckle.

“OK. Sounds like fun.”

“I’ll start planning. We’ll discuss it when I see you tomorrow, ok?”

“You’ll come t-tomorrow?’

“Of course I will, buddy.”

“Ok. Night Steve.”

“Night, partner.”

**********

“So, I’m thinking you should come and stay at my place for a week or so, just until you’re really steady on your feet,” announced Steve from where he was sitting cross legged at the end of Danny’s bed.

Danny looked up from the Scrabble game board on the rolling table between them.

“Steve, you’ve already done t-too much.”

“Hey, we’re partners – friends. We look out for each other right? Besides, how many times have you stayed at my place and looked after me when I was sick or injured? I’m starting to call Mary’s old room ‘Danno’s room.’”

Danny smiled.

“Well i-it is bigger than my aparment…apar-t-ment.”

“Cleaner too, but we won’t go there.”

Danny glared good-naturedly at his friend.

“Look, it will be perfect,” Steve continued. “The therapists can come and treat you in my place. You can swim in the ocean to build up your strength, and I’ll ply you with beer and steak.”

Danny had gone quiet and was staring down at the game board fiddling distractedly with the letter Y. He had pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and Steve could see he was upset. Pushing aside the rolling table that held their game, Steve scooted closer putting a warm hand on his partner’s shoulder and dipping his head to look in Danny’s face.

“Hey. Hey, what’s wrong? Did I say something to upset you?”

Danny shook his head mutely but didn’t raise his eyes.

“Tell me what’s wrong then. C’mon Danny, talk to me.”

Danny looked up and Steve could see his friend’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. 

“I umm…I jus-t….” He took a deep, ragged breath and pressed on. “You…I’m lucky…t-to have you for a friend.”

One tear rolled slowly down Danny’s cheek and Steve could feel his own throat tightening with emotion. He took his own deep, ragged breath before smiling at his partner. 

“Really? I always thought I was the lucky one.”

Danny leaned forward and rested his forehead on Steve’s shoulder as the SEAL put one hand on the back of his partner’s shaved and scarred head and held him there for a moment.

EPILOGUE

Danny walked into the office with his fists in the air as if he’d just scored a winning touchdown. He limped only slightly, his arm had regained its strength, and he had a quarter of an inch of blond hair sprouting from his head.

“Ladies and gentlemen and SEALs – the conquering hero returns!” he called out startling his teammates.

“My god, the mouth is back,” joked Steve with a grin on his face.

The three teammates walked quickly over to their friend and took turns embracing him and patting him on the back.

“Welcome back, brah,” Chin laughed rubbing his friend’s peach fuzz covered head.

Danny looked around the office and nodded in approval.

“Well, the place is still standing. Super SEAL didn’t blow it up yet. Maybe my lectures are finally getting through all that demented Army training.”

“Navy, Danny! I was in the Navy!” Steve happily responded as expected.

Waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, Danny shook his head.

“Whatever. The point is that the building is still st-standing. The island isn’t a smoking crater, and no one here has any new holes in their bodies. I call that a success all around.”

Steve’s eyes twinkled with mischief. 

“It’s good to have you back partner, and in honour of your return, we have a special gift for you.”

“Really, what?”

“We left all the paperwork from the two months you’ve been gone on your desk.”

Danny gave a sick smile. 

“Great,” he muttered flatly. “Good to know nothing’s changed.”

 

The end.


End file.
